Auction News

Auction from Hemmings Classic Car

Blue Flame
D.E. Foeller didn't have consignments for their March 24-25 auction in Palmetto, Florida, available in time for last month's issue, but they're in now. One particular car that Bowtie fans will be interested in is this 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe Club Coupe. Its restoration was done many years ago, although the seats have been more recently reupholstered, from the looks of things. It's got three-on-the-tree and a strong, dependable Chevrolet Blue Flame Six under the hood. We'd expect a price in the $10,000 range.
Contact: www.defoellersales.net.

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Catch a Kaiser
We certainly don't see many Kaisers trading hands at auction, as they usually sell directly between Kaiser-Frazer Owners Club members. But one will be at the upcoming March 31 Classic Motorcars auction in Akron, Ohio. It's a subtle 1951 Deluxe four-door sedan, unmolested, with the Kaiser 226.2-cu.in. flathead straight-six and three-speed manual. You'll hardly find anything more distinctive at any price. Classic's estimate is $9,500 to $13,500, making this yet another wonderful entry-level collector car, with the added benefit of a warm welcome at KFOC and orphan car shows.
Contact: www.classicmotorcarauctions.com.
AUCTION PROFILE
Winning the Dollars-Per-Foot Award
Just being a Full Classic is not always enough to move values to a huge extent, even if it's a Packard. Post-war Full Classics are often overlooked, and attaching the Henney name to it doesn't help. The coachbuilders were an integral part of long-wheelbase Packard production, however, and in addition to the hearse-ambulances for which they're best known, they also constructed these "corporate" five-to-seven-passenger touring limousines, which were sold as part of the Packard catalog line. They were a surprising success, and Henney built over 3,000 1946-'47 assorted big Packards.
Dave Rupp told us this was a Dallas-area car that had a title indicating it had been in the Harrah collection. He said it was in excellent running condition with a rebuilt engine, but needed cosmetic refurbishment. If this had been a pre-war Packard, with that magnificent grille, interest would have been much higher. We did like the unusual two-tone treatment; the average Forties Packard limousine is all black. A lot of car in every way you care to mention, and not much money. We say make it the carpool car and travel in some style.
Car -- 1946 Packard Henney LimousineAuctioneer -- Dave RuppLocation -- Ft. Lauderdale, FloridaDate -- January 6-8, 2012Lot Number -- 558Condition -- #3-Reserve -- Not disclosedAverage selling price -- $23,500Selling price -- $21,000
Super 226
What was that we were saying about few Kaisers? The December Hollywood Wheels auction in West Palm Beach, Florida, had two, both 1954 models. One was an "early" Manhattan Special four-door sedan (which used '53-spec bodies). While it had the same 226-cu.in. straight-six as the '51 car, a 1954 Manhattan got Kaiser's 140hp factory supercharged Super Power version. This was by far the marque's most popular car, selling all of 4,107 units, as Kaiser limped toward impending death. The 1954 model's unique look and supercharging do help it today, and this car brought $18,250.
Contact: www.hollywoodcarauctions.com.

This article originally appeared in the April, 2012 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.